LPA when the Attorney Lives in Canada

LouiseKelowna

Hi, I am hoping someone can help me find a new bank for my Mom.

I am my Mom's LPA, she lives in England and I (her daughter) live in Canada>

Mom currently banks with Nationwide and they will add me as an LPA, but as I neither live in the UK nor am I an existing customer, they won't allow me online access either via the app or online. For all transactions they tell me I have to go into the branch.

Obviously that is not a practical solution!

Does anyone know of any banks that will let me open an account for my mom as her LPA and let me have access from Canada?

To add a bit more flavour to the mix: Canada Post is currently on strike, so I can generate activation keys for companies to access the electronic LPS, but the physical one is probably piled up at an airport somewhere.

I haven't lived in England for 20 years, so I am hoping there are people who are British bank savvy who may be able to recommend a bank. 

Brie

Aren't banks so lovely with their quaint ideas of going in to the local branch to do things!!  I have the same problem sometimes with TD!!  Fortunately they are fine with me having a UK address and I can do some things online just not transfer large amounts of money.

I've had an account with Virgin One now part of RBS all in the UK and have had that for 25 years.  The online banking works fine in Canada although I have never needed to get a one time passcode while I was there.  I don't have the same mobile/cell number when I'm in Canada so they would never be able to get the OTP to the phone I would be using.  But that's because I have to switch to a temporary sim which you wouldn't need to do.

I'd try one of the larger banks that have more of an international presence or ones that are completely online.  In the first category might be Barclays or NatWest.  For an online bank you might try Starling or Monzo.  I've had accounts/dealing with the first 2 but not the latter.  But even Santander seems to allow a fair bit of online opening so they might work too.

My sympathies are with you for the postal strike.  Trying to do lots of stuff regarding my mom's estate in Ontario and keep running in to "we will start processing after the strike finishes to avoid a backlog" kinda things on websites.  Highly frustrating.  Almost as bad as dealing with CIBC!!

(assuming from your name you are in BC?)

LouiseKelowna

Thanks, yes I am in BC! I am also handling my dad's estate in the UK, so I feel your pain. The annoying thing is I know how much money I have put in my mother's account, but if a random bill comes in there is no way to pay it. <y mom has dementia and currently is residing in 1972 (she thinks she and my dad are courting, we go along with it to keep her happy; he died in September) , so thee is no way she can help me at all.

friolento

Can you appoint a UK solicitor to act on your behalf / to act on your instructions? I know a friend of mine has such an arrangement, where his two attorneys don't live in the UK and are unfamiliar with the UK banking system. However, they haven't yet have reason to use the LPA so it may or may not be loaded with complications.